Foreign Relations of the United States, 1949, Western Europe, Volume IV

Editorial Note

After six weeks of deliberations from September 30 to November 12, 1949, the First Committee approved a draft resolution received from subcommittee 17. After further discussion and some amendment, this Draft Resolution was approved by the First Committee by a vote of 49 to 1, with 8 abstentions. The First Committee presented its report and the accompanying Draft Resolution (United Nations Document A/1189) to the General Assembly at its 247th and 248th plenary meetings, November 19, 1949. On November 21, after the defeat of several proposed amendments, the Draft Resolution put forward by the First Committee was voted upon and adopted by a vote of 48 to 1 (Ethiopia), with 9 abstentions.

The resulting decision of the Assembly may be summarized as follows:

a. Libya, comprising Cyrenaica, Tripolitania, and the Fezzan, to be constituted an “independent and sovereign state,” with independence to become effective not later than January 1, 1952. A constitution for Libya, providing for the form of government, would be worked out by representatives of the three parts, meeting in a National Assembly. There would be a United Nations Commissioner for Libya, assisted by an Advisory Council (consisting of representatives of Egypt, France, Italy, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and four representatives of the people of Libya, including minorities) to assist the people of Libya “in the formulation of the constitution and the establishment of an independent government.” The administering powers (Britain and France), in cooperation with the commissioner, would initiate immediately steps for the transfer of power to a duly constituted independent government and coordinate their activities so as to develop necessary governmental institutions and to promote the attainment of Libyan unity and independence. When established as an independent state, Libya would be admitted to the United Nations.

b. Italian Somaliland would become independent after a period of 10 years of Italian trusteeship. As the Administering Authority, Italy would be assisted by an Advisory Council composed of representatives of Colombia, Egypt, and the Philippines. The Trusteeship Council of the United Nations would negotiate a trusteeship agreement with Italy, after which that country might arrange with the United Kingdom to take over provisional administration of the territory pending approval of the trusteeship agreement by the General Assembly. The agreement would include a declaration of constitutional principles guaranteeing the rights of the inhabitants and providing for institutions to insure the development of full self-government.

c. The problem of the disposition of Eritrea would undergo further study and investigation by a United Nations Commission consisting of representatives of Burma, Guatemala, Norway, Pakistan, and the Union of South Africa. The Commission would be under instructions to take into account, particularly, the wishes and welfare of the local inhabitants, the interests of peace and security in East Africa, and Ethiopia’s geographical, historical, ethnic, and economic rights and claims as well as her presumptive need for adequate access to the sea. The Commission would prepare its report, together with such proposals as it wished to make, for consideration at the fifth regular session of the General Assembly. Prior to the convening of the next Assembly, the Interim Committee would consider the Commission’s report and submit its own conclusions to the Assembly.

The United States supported this resolution in the plenary sessions of the Assembly though with expressed disappointment over the inconclusive recommendation on Eritrea.

In addition the General Assembly adopted two related resolutions. One charged the Interim Committee to study the question of methods of delimiting the boundaries of the former colonies, in so far as not already fixed by international agreement. The second provided that a committee consisting of five principal officers of the Assembly should nominate candidates for the post of Libyan Commissioner. This committee unanimously proposed Adrian Pelt, an Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations. He was elected by the Assembly to the new position on the day the General Assembly adjourned, December 10, 1949.

For documentation on the deliberations of the First Committee during the period from September 30 to November 12, 1949, see United Nations, Official Records of the General Assembly, Fourth Session, First Committee. For documentation on the proposed amendments to the Draft Resolution on the colonies (A/1189) and on the voting in the General Assembly, see United Nations, Official Records of the General Assembly, Fourth Session, Plenary Meetings, 1949, September–December, pages 274 ff. For a summary of the final outcome of the General Assembly voting, see United States Participation in the United Nations; Report by the President to the Congress for the Year 1949 (Department of State publication 3765, May 1950, pages 55 ff.). A more detailed account is in David W. Wainhouse and Philip A. Mangano, “The Problem of the Former Italian Colonies at the Fourth Session of the General Assembly,” Department of State Bulletin, May 29, 1950, pages 832 ff., and June 5, 1950, pages 887 ff.